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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290175">Neo City Sirens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DYbuns/pseuds/DYbuns'>DYbuns</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Catwoman Taeyong, Corruption, Crimes &amp; Criminals, DC comics - Freeform, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Gotham City Sirens AU, Harley Quinn Yuta, Kleptomania, M/M, Poison Ivy Doyoung, Rivals, Slight misanthropy, Strangers to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:34:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,912</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290175</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DYbuns/pseuds/DYbuns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taeyong's penchant for anything shimmering and shining once again gets him in trouble, Doyoung's Save-The-Earth agenda is noble and all but god, he's an idiot and when he says he's an eco-terrorist he<em> literally means eco-terrorist</em> and a new villan is raiding Neo city and Yuta just can't let that jester-wannabe outdo him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Mark Lee/Nakamoto Yuta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Villanous Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A quick note for people who don't know much about DC:<br/>- The story is based on Batman characters but further Batman knowledge is not needed since neither Batman or his villans will appear<br/>- Limitless is the equivalent of Arkham asylum<br/>- There are no metahumans here (meaning no superpowers)<br/>- The story characters draw slight inspiration from DC animated show Harley Quinn</p><p> </p><p>With that out of the way, thank you for clicking on this little project that haunted my mind for quite a while now, I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first cringe of morning seeped through the panoramic windows, illuminating the room in a dark gray hue. It was a clear sign that he should hurry up. Taeyong only spared himself a second to savor the view of the rising city and the streets below just beginning to crawl with life as the day set in motion before he parted with the glass, satin gloved fingers slowly sliding off without a sound, the few expensive watches slipped from his forearm to his wrist and he carefully tiptoed around the bed.</p><p> </p><p>Listening to the steady breaths from the man underneath the covers, Taeyong slid the drawer of the bedside table open and rummaged through the books and papers inside. Finding nothing of importance, he pushed the drawer shut and opened another one. Stuck with the same outcome, he huffed, eyeing the room again. It reeked of money, the whole apartment did, that was what Taeyong had first noticed when the man brought him there and that was exactly what he was aiming for. He didn’t doubt for a second that he’d struck gold this time. </p><p> </p><p>Briefly, he caught a peek at himself in the large mirror over the dresser. His make up was smudged, hair disheveled with strands all over the place but he lingered on the bruises on his neck, fingers trailing up to ghost over them. A smile bloomed over his face and he, again, glanced at the sleeping man, watching the slow raise and fall of his bare chest. He puffed up with pride as he noticed the tanned skin flushed red, decorated with scratch marks.</p><p> </p><p>Looking away turned out to be hard, such an eye-candy with a deep pocket was nearly impossible to come by after all and he was disturbingly used to old, wrinkly, naive and desperate millionaires who need a push stronger than his beauty to chub it up. That’s why Taeyong made sure to enjoy every second spent under him. The mere memory of the man’s palms on his thighs, fingers caressing him as he pressed him into the soft velvet covers of his bed, his full lips blowing warm air onto the fresh bites on his neck made Taeyong hot all over. But time worked against him, the sun was rising faster than usual and he had to tear his eyes away because he just cannot settle for a few watches when something bigger called his name.</p><p> </p><p>He sneaked to the dresser, barely sparing a look at the framed family photos as he dived right in, opening the first drawer. He dug around the impressive neck-tie collection, patting around the back for anything hidden and glancing up in the mirror every now and then at the reflection of the man, just making sure he wasn’t awake. When his fingers grazed over something in the back, cold, hard and much heavier than a tie, he looked back down. He latched his fingers onto it and pulled out a wooden box. It wasn’t sizeable despite the weight, but its thin, elegant design with golden floral decorations in the corners ousted its purpose. Bingo, Taeyong grinned.</p><p> </p><p>Biting his lip in anticipation, he creeped the box open. His eyes almost popped out of the sockets and his jaw dropped open in awe at the sight of the jewel laying inside. The mesmerizing gleam of emeralds bound with diamond studded droplet design, held together by pure gold into a necklace momentarily stunned him, emptying his mind and leaving only its image inside. His trembling knuckles grazed over the ice cold stones, sending a shiver down his spine, a small gasp escaped his lips as he pulled the necklace out of its cushioned throne and gently held it up, inspecting it even further. He had to remind himself to breathe, suddenly feeling a bit light-headed.</p><p> </p><p>A soft groan made him freeze in his spot, eyes quickly parting with the jewel and looking over his shoulder. Wide eyed, he watched the man grumble and squirm around, duvet sliding off to reveal his toned stomach. Finally, he stopped moving and Taeyong waited frozen still for a few seconds longer, holding his breath, chest beginning to ache for air. The steady rise of the man’s chest showed he was still asleep. Taeyong unclasped the necklace and clasped it around his neck. He didn’t stay to admire the way it complimented his skin, he had plenty of time for that later. He returned the box where he found it, quietly closed the drawer and made sure he left no traces of himself behind as he buttoned his shirt all the way up to his neck, hiding the jewels underneath.</p><p> </p><p>He spared another glance at the handsome man, in a sense another jewel he acquired, and for whatever reason that he won’t even try to decipher, he approached him. He reached out to run his fingers through his hair, gently, as a thank you of some sort, perhaps, for the wonderful evening they spent together or maybe even more wonderful piece he was able to steal from him. His thick, muscular arm laid on the pillow over his head, and the shiny, extravagant ring that drew him to the man in the first place was still on his finger, and Taeyong, as always a man full of sentiment, couldn’t resist but to slide it off of him, leaving nothing but a trace of his lips on his skin behind before he snuck out of the apartment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, my sweet baby!“ Taeyong cooed at the sight of the black fur-ball threading itself between his legs, purring as he crouched down to scratch behind her ears. “My kitty, did you miss me? Did you miss your daddy? My baby must be hungry, right?“</p><p> </p><p>Pepper meowed, letting Taeyong pick her up and coddle her. He stepped further into the rooftop apartment, dropping his travel bag in the hallway as the sweet smell of some herbal tea lured him towards the kitchen. He stepped over the potted gladiolas, and expertly dodged the opuntias lining the wall, already tall enough they reached the ceiling. He was already used to the abudance of plants, as much of a hassle they can be, especially when Doyoung demands his help in caring for them. Their little shared apartment, at this point, resembled a greenhouse with an occasional proper wall instead of glass, but to him it was a home he built with his friends, their safe heaven. He freed one hand to lift the ivy growing over the doorway, holding onto Pepper with the other, as he crouched to slide under it.</p><p> </p><p>The kettle on the stove sizzled with an ear-piercing squeal but the room was empty. Taeyong let Pepper down. He moved the kettle away from heat and turned off the stove. In the quiet, he could hear a murmur of TV behind the wall. He grabbed a handful of tuna cookies and put them in Pepper’s bowl, chuckling as she immediately ran over to munch on them and, with one last stroke over her fur, he went into the living room.</p><p> </p><p>He smiled at the sight of Doyoung with his back turned on him, crouching over his plants. The neon green shirt he wore reflected the abundance of natural light in the apartment, making Taeyong’s eyes sting and water a little. Beside him, on the floor, laid a carton banner with ‘Save the plants, kill the humans’ painted over and he remembered this morning’s protest in front of Jung Tower that Doyoung obsessively babbled about for a week. “Hey, how did the protest go-“</p><p> </p><p>“You!“ Doyoung shrieked, glaring at him. He bolted up, dusting off his pants and pointed an accusing finger at him.</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong frowned, ransacking his brain to find what could possibly he have done to upset him so, but he came up empty. “I’m sorry, did I wrong you, today?“</p><p> </p><p>Growling, Doyoung squeezed his hands into fists, face distorted and eyes pink as he spat out, “Your little menace tried to eat Oscar!“</p><p> </p><p>Only then did Taeyong properly look down at the muddy bunch behind him and grimaced at the torn carnivore, its leaves scattered around and snap traps missing almost entirely, what was left of the root scattered around with the soil. That thing was Doyoung’s baby. His blood, sweat and tears poured into to genetically modded plant and now the years he spent in his lab trying to get it right were wasted. He let out a soft whine, “Don’t blame Pepper for this, Yuta promised me he won’t forget to feed her!“</p><p> </p><p>“He didn’t forget!” Doyoung’ voice cracked. A tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it with the back of his hand before slumping, looking down at the mess. “He fed her Oscar!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh...” Taeyong shrugged, unsure what to say to that. “To be fair, it tried to bite off his finger a few times.” Also, to be fair to Doyoung, too, why the hell was Yuta even pushing his finger into the mouth of a plant that eats meat and had already tried to eat him more than once? Taeyong figured the only reason was well, because it’s Yuta.</p><p> </p><p>Crossing his arms over his chest, Doyoung huffed, offended, “He! And he’s... was just a baby, he couldn’t have known it was wrong!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m really sorry.” Taeyong pouted, stepping closer. He didn’t particularly care about the plants, but he knew Oscar meant the world to Doyoung. He remembered his best friend running home and jumping into his arms when, after so many failed attempts, his experiment finally worked. He spread his arms wide, waiting for Doyoung to come to him, and he did, like clockwork, and Taeyong squeezed him tight, settling them down on the couch while he wallowed in grief, tears dripping down the crook of his neck, damping his shirt. “Wanna make more Oscars? We’ll hide them around and hopefully one chops off Yuta’s head.”</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung’s soft chuckle rumbled against his chest. He shook his head no, and Taeyong patted his head, running his fingers through his hair. Sniffling, he grumbled against his skin, “Oscar was special…“</p><p> </p><p>“Where is Yuta, anyway? Believe me, I’m gonna give him hell for not taking care of my baby.“</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung shrugged, “I don’t know… He said he’s gonna make it up to me and bolted before I could strangle him.“</p><p> </p><p>A strange itch started to spread around Taeyong’s neck. At first it wasn’t enough to be unbearable but enough to make him squirm in discomfort. However, the longer he endured, the more agonizing the itch became. </p><p>He pulled away from Doyoung, and tried to unbutton the buttons of his collar. He struggled to pull them out in such in haste so, instead, he grabbed at the neckband and ripped the shirt open.</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung gasped when his shirt revealed the diamonds around his neck, gawking at the beautiful necklace but Taeyong focused more on the heated skin around it. He scratched at his burning collarbones and neck to relieve himself but the attempt was fruitless and the itch only became worse, like someone lit it on fire. He unclasped the necklace, throwing it on the sofa, and immediately felt like he could breathe better.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t even notice Doyoung left to get him some ice but he was grateful when he put it over the redness of his neck, cooling him down and easing the urge to claw off his skin.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell was that!? Is it fake?” Doyoung asked as he moved the ice to the other side without warning, making him flinch.</p><p> </p><p>“No, it can’t be. Trust me, I’d know.” Taeyong eyed the diamond jewelry reflecting the sunlight around the room. There was no way it was a fake, he wore it the whole morning and nothing happened. His nickel allergy wouldn’t take that long to alert him. He took over the ice pack from Doyoung’s fingers.</p><p> </p><p>“Who did you even steal it from?” Doyoung asked. He reached for the box of nitrile gloves and pulled one on the hand before grabbing the necklace. He observed it, turning it around and looking for any sign of discoloration. He brought it up to his nose, just far enough not to touch his skin and took a deep inhale.</p><p> </p><p>“I... don’t know? A dude in Seoul?” He didn’t know the stranger’s name and he didn’t tell him his. Taeyong had been pouring champagne to a young lady when their eyes locked across the room and he knew because of the way everyone at his table hung up on every word that left his mouth, the way his expensive suit hugged his body, the way the ornate ring on his finger glimmered under the light,  that man was exactly what he was looking for. Taeyong went the extra mile to keep his eyes lingering on him as he worked, sending him coy smiles, biting his lip, swinging his hips until the man relented and caught him alone in the hallway. He called him a tease with a smirk on his face, pressed him against the wall and whispered it in his ear. Taeyong shook off the memory and sighed, “Is it poisoned?”</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung whiffed the necklace again before he shook his head and settled it on the coffee table. “It isn’t plant based if it is but I don’t feel any chemicals, either.”</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong admired the sight of it against the glass covering the planted moss underneath, the background enhanced the diamonds and the gold complimented the emerald gem perfectly. “Huh… Whatever, it fits right in with my collection.“ It was quite possibly the prettiest thing he had ever stolen, and the last night event only added to the sentiment. He remembered each and every piece he stole but this one will stay etched in his memories along with the man he stole it from, his handsome face, soft palms, dominating kisses. That man was the best he ever had and quite certainly the best he’ll ever have.</p><p> </p><p>A slam of the door shook the glass of the apartment and Doyoung tensed up beside him. He pulled his legs to himself, lips pursed and eyes glaring at nothing in particular as they listened to heavy steps in the hallway approaching closer. No doubt it was Yuta, probably the only villain you could hear before you see him. Yuta argued it’s one of his qualities. The number of times he was busted and locked away in Limitless disagreed. A small crash of something falling down and breaking echoed around, a light giggle and an ‘Oops’ following before Yuta popped his head behind the door, hiding the rest of his body.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I gonna die if I tell you I just stepped on your fern?“</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung was on his feet in an instant, fingers stretching and cracking, ready to wrap around Yuta’s neck, “You what!?“</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I see… Well, good thing I didn’t, I guess!“ He awkwardly chuckled, rubbing a palm over the back of his neck as his wide eyes avoided Doyoung and locked on Taeyong. “Hey, you’re home! Great,“ Yuta ignored his dirty look as he bounced over to them, grabbing the remote and switching the channel to the news. “Look mama, I made it!“</p><p> </p><p>The screen showed a photo of a masked Yuta beside the news anchor as she spoke, an old one, back from when he was admitted to Limitless for the first time and still sported the half red half black hair color. Yuta giggled, turning the volume up just as a CCTV recording started playing. It showed him in all his madness, dressed in the same revamped jester outfit he wore now and his signature bleached blonde hair with pink and blue tips flew around as he swung his bat at the cops before gracefully somersaulting over them and kicking his leg at a security guard’s face. Another tape showed him breaking the glass door of the building, Jung Tower carved on the wall above.</p><p> </p><p>“See, Doie, aren’t I the best?” Yuta wiggled his eyebrows and nudged Doyoung with his bat. “I did it all for you! They didn’t even show the best part, yet!“</p><p> </p><p>The anchor continued to speak, “And as established villains resort to vandalism to stay relevant, the new mischief-making jester rocked Neo city with quite the stylish debut.“</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, what?“ Yuta’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“As the public eye focused on the vigorous protests in front of the Jung Tower after the scandalous statement from the young CFO Jung Jaehyun, son of the CEO Jung Yoonoh, the new face grabbed the opportunity and hijacked an armored truck full of weaponry that was supposed to be transported to the Neo military base. Chief officer Lee Soo-man stated it was the lack of available police force that-“</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck!” Yuta yelled out at the top of his lungs, flinging his bat straight at the TV. The screen turned black and its glass cracked into million pieces that scattered over the floor, the sound persisted only a second longer before fading off.</p><p> </p><p>“Damn it, Yuta, and you wonder why we don’t put the good TV out!“ Taeyong rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe this!“ Yuta stomped back and forth, teeth grinding as he fumed. He pointed his bat at the screen and raised an eyebrow at Doyoung and Taeyong. “Who the hell does this guy think he is? Jester?“ He scoffed, “As if! Ugh, she said jester- I am the one and only jester terrorizing Neo! I! Me! Fucking idiots!“</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung pressed his lips together, lifting his chin. “Deserved.“ he mumbled under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong tuned out the noisy rambling when Pepper jumped on the couch and plopped down on his lap. Kneading her claws on the fabric of his pants, she drew out a yelp from him as her claws caught on his skin. He picked her up in her arms, nestling her in the crook of his elbow and, pocketing the emerald necklace he stood up and made his way towards his bedroom upstairs.</p><p> </p><p>“How dares he? This is plagiarism, right?“ Yuta’s waved his arms around as he continued babbling and pacing around. “I can sue for this, for sure. Actually, no, I’m gonna find this thieving little piece of shit and break his fucking legs! Yeah, that will fucking show them. Stay relevant my ass, I am the-“</p><p> </p><p>“Yuta, just shut the hell up and clean up the mess you made. I’m going to go drink my tea to calm my nerves before I end up murdering you and if I don’t see Oscar replanted by the time I’m done, it will be you who’ll have broken legs.“ Doyoung growled out just as Taeyong entered his room. He let out a soft chuckle and shut the door behind him, muting Yuta’s response.</p><p> </p><p>Pepper wriggled out of his hold and he let her jump off. She settled on the end of his bed, in the corner still illuminated by the sun rays and stretched her limbs. He felt her gaze follow him as he opened his closet door and walked in, not bothering to switch the light on. He dashed straight towards the back, passing the rows of expensive fabric much less impressive then the treasure behind the wall at the end. Blindly, he pulled the hidden lever, the mock concrete slid open, revealing the camouflaged room.</p><p> </p><p>Flipping the lights on, Taeyong was momentarily blinded by the reflecting gleam of his collection. The room was full of shelves from the top to the bottom, and almost all were filled to the brim with all kinds of precious jewelry; watches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, even tiaras, all varying with all kinds of gemstones and metals but his heart had always laid with diamonds. So elegant, so cold, so mesmerizing. He stepped further in, eyes grazing over each piece he acquired lined up in an exhibition intended for his pleasure only.</p><p> </p><p>He reached the shelf flaunting the necklaces and moved the displayed neck mannequins closer to each other to make place for a new one. He placed it right in the middle, only a little further to the front and pulled the necklace out of his pocket. Gently, he put it around the plastic neck and clasped the golden chain together. Taking a step back, he admired the way it stood out among his other beauties, like a queen among princesses, shining on the throne.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you worry, beautiful…“ he murmured, tracing the emerald tear drop with the tip of his fingers. “I’ll find out whatever it is that’s bothering you and you’ll be around my neck again in no time.“</p><p> </p><p>A buzz of his phone tore him away from the jewel. He took it out and opened the message. ‘VIP party with a special kind of service next Saturday’ said the text, followed by ‘Are you up for it?’ Taeyong smirked, and texted back a confirmation. He didn’t doubt for a second that by the end of the week, another precious jewel will find home inside his little museum.</p><p> </p><p>An agitated screech travelled through the place, “Yuta, you freaking bastard, you fucking killed Tiffany!“</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on, I tripped on someone’s fucking bag in the middle of the hall, it was not my fault- ow!“</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. All Going Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The chapter two that took me much longer than I expected it to😭😭😭 Anyway, I’d like to say a special thank you to people who left the comments on the first chapter, you and your words really kept me going❤️🥰🥰</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m gonna blow up the Neo City Hall-“</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, fuck me.“</p><p> </p><p>“If,“ Yuta raised a finger up, shushing Doyoung. A wide grin adorned his cheeks, glint in his eyes giving away he was up to some mischief. “The mayor doesn’t build a tower with my face carved on top!“</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong snorted the water he was drinking as the laughter bubbled in his throat. He set the glass on the counter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and turned his body to properly see Yuta at the table, feet up, crossed one over the other, ice pack over his eye and torn lip oozing blood down his chin. Doyoung was only slightly in better condition and Taeyong imagined he’d be cleaning up limbs had he stepped in a second later. “We’re finally gonna open the gates to hell?” he chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“Hell yeah, we are!“ Yuta grinned at him, raising his palm for a high five. Taeyong smacked his hand as he sat back down next to him, digging in his bowl and slurping the spicy ramen. Whatever train of thought zoomed by in Yuta’s mind formed a frown on his face and he scratched his chin before lightening up again, cheerily clapping his hands, his million-watt smile stretching for miles. “Actually, I might just blow it up anyway. Bombs away!“</p><p> </p><p>“You do know,“ Doyoung peeked over the flowerpots he was coddling like a mother coddles her baby, as if his encouraging compliments will make the plants recover faster, if they recover at all, “that bombs cause a tremendous and irreparable damage to our ecosystem-“</p><p> </p><p>“Blah, blah, blah.“ Yuta waved the ice pack around. He rolled his eyes and sing-songed, “I do know now and I still don’t give a crap.“</p><p> </p><p>“I hate your guts.“ Doyoung stated.</p><p> </p><p>“No, you don’t. You’re guarding your feelings by projecting hatred onto anything that may potentially harm them, aka humans, but deep down you still crave the human warmth you never had and I just so happen to provide you said warmth, therefore you tolerate my guts. And besides, even after all this shit,” Yuta smugly nodded towards Tiffany and Oscar protectively cuddled up against Doyoung’s chest, ”I’m still breathing!“</p><p> </p><p>“You’re on thin fucking ice, Nakamoto, and it might crack if you use your psychiatrist notes against me again.“ Shaking his head, Doyoung sighed and dragged his gaze back to his plants. “Just threaten her a little and be done with it is all I’m saying.“</p><p> </p><p>“First of all, I didn’t get my PhD for nothing. Second, what? Am I supposed to wake up to headlines saying I’m losing my touch? That some copycat is doing my job better than me? Nuh-huh, no, thank you.” Yuta looked at him like he grew another head. Arms flailing around, he dived into his vision, “I need the kaboom! The pizazz! I need blood and guts flying around with the fireworks! The fancy stuff, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“I-“ Doyoung blinked. “Sure, go nuts.”</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong swallowed the last of his food, cooling the burning sting of his mouth with a few puffs of air, and piped in the conversation, “You’re still hung up on that dude?”</p><p> </p><p>Clicking his tongue, Yuta slid off the legs off the table and stomped on the floor. “Come on, it’s obvious he was trying to get my attention, like, why else would he choose a jester mask? It even had the same colors as mine... It’s a bit fishy. I think he’s trying to get to me. He’s deliberately trying to piss me off!” He nodded to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“So you’re gonna fall right into his trap?”</p><p> </p><p>Yuta puffed up his chest. “No, I’m gonna show him who’s the real crime king of Neo.”</p><p> </p><p>Doyoung suppressed a chortle, “Crime king of Neo? Isn’t that Jung, though?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck you, Doyoung. Don’t expect me to cuddle you to sleep tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m spending the night in the lab, my cereus is blooming for the first time tonight, so...” Shrugging, Doyoung rose from his seat. He eyed the darkening sky, rejoicing at the thick rows of gray clouds with a promise of a downpour. “I better get going.” He set the pots on the windowsill and poured a little water onto the soil. He slightly cranked the window open to allow the fresh air inside and pushed his plants closer to the opening, whispering to them like he would to a lover. They talk back, he said once when the trio met during their pleasant stay in Limitless, without clarifying himself any further.</p><p> </p><p>Before he left the kitchen, Taeyong called his name, making him halt and raise an eyebrow at him, “You’ll be testing that growth serum?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why, you volunteer? If so, I’m sorry to inform you that it’s limited to flora only. For now, at least.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Taeyong retorted, almost drawling like a groan. “I was just wondering if you have time check what’s up with my necklace?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up with what necklace?” Yuta frowned, eyes traveling between the two.</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong dragged down the collar of his shirt and leaned his neck towards the light, displaying the fading pink irregular circle shape around his neck. It still stung, but only barely. By tomorrow it will be gone as if it never happened.</p><p> </p><p>Yuta hissed at the sight and grimaced at him, “You know, maybe you should go back to robbing museums and jewelry stores. At least you know those aren’t a fraud. If you ask me, it’s more fun, too!”</p><p> </p><p>Taeyong didn’t bother to correct the authenticity of the jewel. “Ah... Too much work...” He drawled instead and stretched his arms over his head, a yawn escaping his throat. He only giggled at Yuta’s jab saying ‘Pepper’s more active than him and she’s lazying around all day and night.’</p><p> </p><p>“Besides, I’m trying to lay low anyway. Wouldn’t wanna another year in Limitless.” Sure, museums and stores were fun to rob. It was a special thrill, wearing his beautiful leather kitty mask as he’s knocking out guards, avoiding the security cameras, dancing over the alarm traps, adrenaline pumping in his blood, but the satisfaction of obtaining his goal never really laid in the process. It was always about the result. Yuta had said he had become lazy, but he only became more creative. And if he gets good sex, that’s a bonus. He turned back to Doyoung, “Well, can you?”</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, Doyoung offered a tiny nod of his head. “I can’t promise anything since it’s not exactly my field of expertise, though. If it was any poisonous plant I would have already figured, but I can take it with me to run a few tests. Maybe something comes up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amazing! You’re the best!” Taeyong sprung up on his feet, about to fetch the necklace for him to take. “Don’t even worry about this clown here, if you find something, I’ll cuddle you to sleep every night!” He said, teasingly trying to pinch Doyoung’s cheeks but the other swatted him away.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The future of the empire was rotting.</p><p> </p><p>It was still undetectable, but the process has begun. The core was breaking apart, it was at the brink of collapsing, already as cool as ice, rigid, drained. Rotten. The flies have already been swarming around, other insects were crawling closer and vultures were circling the air, waiting to feast.</p><p> </p><p>The time has come, the plan set in motion.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny tapped his fingers against the leather steering wheel to the rhythm of raindrops crashing against the windshield, his pulse ticking along. The streets of Neo, as bleak and shielded from light as ever, a ghastly contrast to Seoul, were swarmed with the mass traffic and he’s been stuck for far too long to not be utterly pissed off. Jungwoo only added fuel to the flame.</p><p> </p><p>“I did manage to track him through the few streets that had surveillance but he disappeared into a back alley and I lost track of him there. Still no clear view of his face, either. “ he spoke, his voice distorted, in a sense robotic, over the phone.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny didn’t need a picture of his face. He remembered it clear as a day. He saw it when he closed his eyes, it didn’t leave his mind’s eye since the moment he spotted him. He gripped the wheel, skin draining of color under the pressure, and his jaw clenched, aching as his teeth gritted against each other, a curse slipping through.</p><p> </p><p>“ I also checked with the restaurant, “ Jungwoo continued, unaware of Johnny’s fuming glare. Johnny cautiously moved the car forward, barely a few meters, and pressed the brake pedal a little harder than he intended when the car before him stopped. “ No one with your description works there full-time but they do hire part timers for bigger events. They gave me a list of people they had yesterday, Taeil and I are looking through it now. ”</p><p> </p><p>“If there’s any news, call me immediately.“ Johnny grumbled and tapped the button of his in-ear to hang up the call. He ripped it out of his ear and flinged the small device at the passenger seat, making it bounce off and scatter. He ran a hand through his hair, grabbing a big chunk, and pulled, hard, matching the burning anger in his chest. “Fuck.“ he cursed again.</p><p> </p><p>By the time he pulled in the driveway of the Jung manor, overlooking the city from the outskirts like a dreadful shadow ready to engulf it, his patience hung by a thin thread. He slammed the car door on his way out, let the drizzle damp his hair and clothes as he walked among the parked cars towards the overly ornate entrance, counting each step to ground himself.</p><p> </p><p>He pushed the heavy doors open, strutted in with his head held high, and was welcomed with the familiar lack of warmth the brick walls withheld. The burly laughter echoed around the place, made it feel truly haunted. He understood now, why Jaehyun despised spending time here, why he refused to call it home.</p><p> </p><p>“Young master Suh.“</p><p> </p><p>“Dowon.“ Johnny acknowledged the butler.</p><p> </p><p>The click of his approaching footsteps against the hardwood floor emphasized the vast empty space. The man appeared before him, ages older than Johnny remembered him to be, he offered a proper bow of his head and reached to take his coat off for him. Johnny shook it off his shoulders and let him take a hold of it. “Master Jung has been anticipating you.“ Dowon made an offhand comment, stating a fact Johnny had already known.</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone else is here?“</p><p> </p><p>“Young master Jung is not. Jaehyun, that is,“ he clarified, “but I imagine he won’t be present in the future meetings, either, sir.“</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Dowon.“ Johnny nodded and went straight for the meeting room.</p><p> </p><p>He halted at the sight of his brother pacing back and forth in front of the door, hair disheveled and fingers between his teeth. He, too, stopped when he spotted him, and stared at him with eyes wide open, complection paler than healthy. With a shaky intake of breath, he nudged his head towards the end of the corridor and, with a careful glance over his shoulder, Johnny followed him into the lounge.</p><p> </p><p>Mark peeked both ways in the hallway before clicking the door shut.</p><p> </p><p>“It was supposed to- It- The diversion worked and the weapons are with Donghyuck but- Ugh, Johnny, it all went to shit-”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, take a breath.“ Johnny grabbed Mark’s shoulders, giving him a light shake. He waited while Mark took his advice, breathing in and out, collecting his thoughts into proper words. “What are you trying to say?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dad- he told me to warn you before we come in. They figured it was someone from the inside.” Mark kept his voice low, stumbling in haste. “We thought we should lead them away from us so- so we tried to frame the Jester, I dressed up like him but he- he showed up at the protest. They know it was a set up and they’re suspicious of Jaehyun.”</p><p> </p><p>Johnny mind blanked. He slumped against the wall and leaned his head back on the brick with a firm thump, pinching the bridge of his nose and eyes squeezed shut. Thump, thump, thump. He let his head hit the surface harder each time and Johnny welcomed the sting, craved more, it felt better than the ache coming from the inside at least. The pain suppressed, or more so disabled, the urge to rip everything around him till nothing but shreds are left. “Then they must think I helped him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Father thinks that’s why Jung wanted you here, he wants to be sure.”</p><p> </p><p>He took a second of silence to breathe. To try and think. He locked eyes with Mark, the younger chewing on his lip as he waited for an answer, an order, a plan. Anything. Johnny couldn’t admit to him that, for the first time, he didn’t have anything.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll figure it out.“ Johnny tapped his shoulder, a weak attempt at reassurance. “We’re not the only ones who don’t want Jaewoo to lead.”</p><p> </p><p>Mark followed behind him as his legs dragged themselves back towards the front of the meeting room, heavy and hurting as if he had metal weights cuffed to his ankles but he found himself staring at the wooden door sooner than he’d like, nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>He ran his fingers through the damp locks of his hair, slicking them back, setting them in place. “Calm down.“ he ordered to the fiddling Mark, and perhaps himself, too.</p><p> </p><p>He pushed the door open. The stench of smoke tickled his nostrils. The chatter stopped as he walked in the dim lit room, back straight, chin up, muscles under his shirt clenched and expanded. A posture intended to intimidate.</p><p> </p><p>Most people around him were only vaguely familiar from the few meetings he and Jaehyun attended, their features burned somewhere in the back of his mind, but Johnny only needed a name to put the story to the face, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Chief officer Lee and Mayor Bae, the most loyal two to Jung and the most burdensome two to him caught his attention immediately. The plan will go on. Mark will handle the cop and if Jungwoo and Taeil fail to track the damn necklace, Johnny will personally make sure Bae is out of the picture, one way or another.</p><p> </p><p>All eyes glued themselves on him, appraising him as he went right to the head of the table that sat the Jung’s, Yoonoh and his son Jaewoo, the chair next to them left empty.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny wasn’t quite sure if the vacancy that was once filled by Jaehyun made him content or uneasy.</p><p> </p><p>“John,” a hint of a smile sounded within the deep, groggy voice, the result of too much smoke in the lungs over the years and perhaps a glass too many in the night. “Ready to send your old man to retire, I see.” Jung joked, however strained and insincere for the sake of putting on a show, and rose from his seat when he reached him.</p><p> </p><p>“I doubt he’d leave your side.” He simply answered, planting satisfaction on the old man’s face with his own lie, and deeply bowed before him.</p><p> </p><p>Jung sat back down, and, as Johnny turned to nod at the rest of the attendees, signaled him to the empty chair in between Mark and his father who clapped him on the back with a cringe of a smile on his face as he settled down. Much like Dowon, his father aged. Johnny had to look past the wrinkles and graying hair to recognize the man he remembered from his youth.</p><p> </p><p>“Gentlemen... Lady,” Yoonoh nodded to Mayor Bae. He took a moment to light a cigar, blowing away a thick puff of smoke, “we’re not here to chatter about the lovely fucking weather.“ He demanded the silence with a raise his voice, capturing the attention of his partners. “We’re here to talk business and we’re here to talk about loyalty, or lack of it, for that matter.“</p><p> </p><p>A prickly sense on his skin alerted him that someone was watching him. Johnny’s gaze slid from the talking man, and locked with an apprehensive glare the man he used to consider a friend sent him. Jaewoo hadn’t relented even when Johnny raised a questioning eyebrow, but instead frowned deeper in an attempt to see through him. Still, Johnny didn’t give him a reason to suspect anything, so he let his sight go back to Yoonoh.</p><p> </p><p>”Now, we are all men with fickle morals, but morals nonetheless, and disloyalty means stepping all over those morals we hold. That is the only thing setting us apart from the villains in Neo. We succeeded because we trust one another.” Yoonoh made sure to graze over every person around the table, making his point stand, but he stuck a moment longer on Johnny as he spoke further, “Being disloyal to my son, the heir of everything we built, means being disloyal to me. It means spitting all over this empire we fucking built together.”</p><p> </p><p>Johnny didn’t relent, he tackled Yoonoh’s scrutinizing eyes with a stone cold expression, giving away nothing. A palm came to rest at his knee, his fathers sign of comfort, support, however hidden.</p><p> </p><p>The leader finally moved on from Johnny, but he didn’t let his guard drop. Jaewoo kept his sight on him. “I believe I don’t need to remind the severe consequences of treason, no matter who it came from. Onto the other issues, concerning treason and, as you all already know, a Jester- well, both of them-” he clasped his palm on the wood of the table. “Falcones are still counting on the shipment to arrive in Gotham by the end of the month. That truck must appear on the docks, full of weapons, because if it doesn’t, we’ll lose a great partner and gain a great enemy. Jung Tower can survive a few broken windows,“ Yoonoh chuckled, waving the cigar in between his fingers dismissively, “but losing that deal will be our downfall. And after all, there were only a few people who knew about the shipment, some of them sitting in this room right now.“</p><p> </p><p>As if on command, the shrill sound of wood scraping aginst the floor echoed around the otherwise tensly silent room. The cock of a gun sounded off and the first thing in Johnny’s line of vision was a barrel of a gun aimed at chief officer Lee. Jaewoo didn’t even spare him a second to defend himself before firing the weapon, a lound bang ringing in Johnny’s ears. No one made a sound, not even when his brain splattered around on everyone, nor when his head hit the table, blood pooling around and dripping on the floor with loud thuds. </p><p> </p><p>“He wasn’t a traitor,“ Yoonoh shrugged, “But he proved himself to be useless. No, our traitor is closer-“</p><p> </p><p>Johnny heared what he was saying even without the word coming out of his mouth. Jaehyun. Him.</p><p> </p><p>He stared right into Jaewoo’s eyes as the older moved the gun to point straight at him, not at all surprised to see a semblance of eagerness and satisfaction in them as he prepared to shoot. “-and I presume Johnny would know all about it.“ The leader finished. </p><p> </p><p>The clock on the wall ticked, the wind outside still churned the leaves and the raindrops thumped against the windows as everything else froze in time. It was then that an opportunity presented itself to Johnny, a lightbulb flashed above his head. All he needed was to take away their suspicion of them for a little while, just until they’re weak enough to crumble, until they have no one to watch their back.</p><p> </p><p> “The Jester is a jester for a reason, sir.” Johnny said, barely containing the sly smirk off his face as Yoonoh perked with interest and Jaewoo deepend his scowl. His father squeezed his knee under the table and Mark sat tense beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh by all the means, do continue, John.”</p><p> </p><p>He claimed the spotlight, bravely stating, “You’re not looking at a treason. You’re looking at a joke.” he smirked, “Find the Jester, and you’ll find the weapons.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I said no metahumans are in this story, but I’m kinda reconsidering purely because of the fact that I think Doyoung with green skin, red hair and vines wrapping around him would be dope. But idk 😐 Maybe?</p><p> </p><p>Thank you everyone for reading, I’m sending you a lot of love!😘😘😘</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My motivation is fueled purely by coffee and sleeples nights so if you spot a mistake, I would really appreciate if you pointed it out. Thank you to every single one of you who decided to click on this and if you enjoyed it I'm sending you a virtual hug. Thank you!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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